Marieve’s latest article
Many people across the world experience mouth odor (aka bad breath), which can hinder self-confidence and, in turn, limit one’s ability to reach their truest potential. Luckily, bad breath is easily treated and preventable; but first, you must understand what it’s causes are. Two main causes of mouth odor are decaying food particles and bacteria. The mouth is home to a plethora of hidden crevices and surfaces that we often forget about after we eat, places where food particles can stay for a while before we get to brushing our teeth. And truth be told, brushing your teeth is not enough, especially if you experience mouth odor often. Here are a few tips on how to overcome bad breath:
First, it’s important to actually clean your tongue, a place that a lot of leftover food and bacteria can hide. You can do this when you’re brushing your teeth by taking your toothbrush and scraping it against your tongue. Be sure you’re brushing at least twice a day, three times is recommended if your mouth odor is really bothersome (once after each meal).
Another way to help improve bad breath is to floss. Most people tend to skip this step when they are doing their morning and nightly “brushing” routine. But, flossing should be taken care of daily. It’s a good idea to form a habit of flossing right before you brush your teeth at night. Once you start flossing, you’ll see all the leftover food particles that will show up (the stuff that’s causing your mouth odor), and hopefully this will give you more of an incentive to floss on a daily basis. Besides helping with bad breath, flossing will keep your teeth looking whiter and more healthy throughout the years.
Next, make sure your mouth is moisturized throughout the day. A dry mouth is usually accompanied a not-so-pleasant smell, and indicates that you are dehydrated. This is the reason why your breath probably smells worse right after you wake up then any other time of day. Saliva is the main fighter of mouth odor; it has antiseptic and enzymes that kill bacteria along with it’s capabilities to flush away leftover food. Apart from drinking plenty of water (which you should be doing anyway), chewing gum can help bad breath because it stimulates the amount of saliva your mouth produces (and usually has a fresh minty scent). If you’re on any medications, especially antibiotics, be sure you drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated because these medicines tend to dry out your body.
On top of all of these mouth-odor saving tips, using mouthwash is another great way to kill bacteria and get those old food particles flushed out of your mouth. For more information on how to get rid of bad breath, read this article, and don’t forget, a clean mouth is one of the main indicators of being a healthy individual, so be sure to pay close attention to your mouth.
from Dr. Marieve Rodriguez Dental http://ift.tt/1umtiWi
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